Who Can Forgive Sins, But God Only. Part [8] 09/06/2025 (Evening thought)

Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

In the above passage, Peter was not given a special set of keys to the kingdom that was not available to the other disciples. The keys to the kingdom are in fact given to every believer, for they consist of every word in the Bible, which contains the revealed will of God. A key is a mechanism by which on can gain entrance to a place, person, or thing, and therefore, we must never conclude that just because Jesus singled out Peter by name on this occasion that the others were left out.

They were not. John is specifically described in the Scriptures as the disciple that Jesus loved. This does not mean that Jesus did not love the other disciples. Thus, because Christ names one person specifically in an instance, we are not to conclude that some special privilege is granted to pardon, that the others are not privy to.

Thus, if we were to reason along strictly logical lines we would have to conclude that by handing the keys of the kingdom to Peter, Jesus thereby gave satan the keys, because of how He addressed Peter, later on in verse 23…. [The Desire of Ages pp 413>414] “The keys of the kingdom of heaven” are the words of Christ. All the words of Holy Scripture are His, and are here included.

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!

Who Can Forgive Sins, But God Only. Part [7] 09/05/2025 (Morning thought)

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Again, some persons erroneously believe that Peter was granted power to forgive sins, but in the first example given, we see Christ addressing all of the disciples, not only Peter. In fact, the next example speaks about Peter being given the keys of heaven, and authority to bind and loose things in heaven and earth as the case might be. Peter, as well as all of the other disciples were never to do any of these things on, or of their own.

They were commissioned to declare to the people the written word of God, which contains the terms and conditions upon which pardon may be granted, but they were not to take it upon themselves to try to pardon anyone. In fact, later on in the next verses we see where even Peter was in need of pardon.

Matthew 16:20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. 21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

Matthew 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!